Saturday, September 29, 2007

J. Noah Funderburg For President

Altered iPhones Freeze Up - New York Times:

"J. Noah Funderburg, an assistant dean at the University of Alabama School of Law in Tuscaloosa and a longtime Mac user, had little sympathy for iPhone hot-rodders. “Anyone who hacks must know that they are taking certain risks,” Mr. Funderburg said. ”If they aren’t willing to assume the risks upfront — like a brick iPhone — then maybe they should not hack the device. “We have a free marketplace,” he said. “Buy a product, including using it on the terms accompanying the purchase, or don’t buy it. And learn to live with not always getting everything you want.”"

J. Noah Funderburg has a way with words.

Friday, September 28, 2007

GOP no-shows take pounding at black forum / To peers' chagrin, party's top 4 candidates for president skip African American event

GOP no-shows take pounding at black forum / To peers' chagrin, party's top 4 candidates for president skip African American event:

The invitations to this event came out months ago but these guys still couldn't make it.

>>"Former Sen. Fred Thompson was at a fundraiser in Franklin, Tenn. Former Gov. Mitt Romney was gathering checks in Rancho Santa Fe (San Diego County). Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani was in Napa raking in some last-minute cash. Sen. John McCain spent the day in New York City, giving a speech and raising money. Such were the scheduling conflicts that left the lecterns for the leading candidates for the Republican presidential nomination empty "<<

Monday, September 24, 2007

Paragraph of the Month - George Clooney

From Hecklerspray, a single paragraph worth noting.
George Clooney Knackers His Rib Falling Off Motorbike - Hecklerspray: Music, Movies, TV, Celebs, Games and Gossip: "Or maybe when George Clooney fell off his motorbike he was screaming like a girl, as we suspect we would too. We just don't know. But we do know that George Clooney fell off his motorbike on Friday after being clipped by a car in New Jersey. Fortunately, though, George Clooney escaped serious harm and only managed to pick up a fractured rib while his girlfriend broke her foot. But, ever the easy-going optimist, George Clooney has turned the motorbike accident to his advantage; not only has he been approached to endorse nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in the lucrative Pacific Rim markets, but it's spurred George Clooney on to organise an all-star charity concert to raise awareness of how famous actors should get their own lanes on public highways."

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Buffalo Bisons: 8/13/2007

Buffalo Bisons: Scoreboard: Scoreboard:

"Brett Gardner drew a leadoff walk in the decisive frame and advanced to second on a sacrifice. Two batters later, Chavez's base hit plated Gardner. Chavez ripped a solo homer, his ninth, in the sixth and Bronson Sardinha collected three hits for the Yankees (69-53), who maintained a two-game lead over Rochester in the International League's North Division. Reliever Edwar Ramirez (1-0) picked up his first Triple-A win, despite giving up a run on one hit and two walks while fanning five in two innings. Brian Bruney allowed one hit in a scoreless 11th for his first save. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre starter Ian Kennedy yielded three runs on seven hits and four walks while striking out two over six frames."

Monday, September 17, 2007

Blackwater license being revoked in Iraq - Yahoo! News

Blackwater license being revoked in Iraq - Yahoo! News:

"The U.S. Embassy said a State Department motorcade came under small-arms fire that disabled one of the vehicles, which had to be towed from the scene near Nisoor Square in the Mansour district. 'There was a convoy of State Department personnel and a car bomb went off in proximity to them and there was an exchange of fire as the personnel were returning to the International Zone,' embassy spokesman Johann Schmonsees said, referring to the heavily fortified U.S.-protected area in central Baghdad also known as the Green Zone."

Friday, September 14, 2007

FOXNews.com - Weather Forecasters Have an Obligation to Report The Truth - FOX Fan

FOXNews.com - Weather Forecasters Have an Obligation to Report The Truth - FOX Fan

"I recall early on in Gaby’s formation one of the local channels here in New York (that shall remain un-named even though I’d love to call them out!) went crazy on the potential for Gaby to “BECOME A HURRICANE AND HIT THE JERSEY SHORE!” This was being said even before the storm was categorized as even a depression out in the Atlantic! Early computer models were all over the place in trying to figure out where the storm was going. There was only one model early on that brought the storm up close to the New York City vicinity and most of the other weather models were aping for more of a “Carolinas” storm.

I found it very interesting that this station was moving quickly on the possibility that this storm could come up and slam the New York City area. Is this for ratings? Scare tactics? Getting your name in lights as being the only station predicting the storm “COULD MOST DEFINITELY (!) hit the tri-state area?” Now, I can understand if the National Hurricane Center had come out with a forecast that made their track a little more northeast centered, I might be a little forgiving … but that was not the case. I found myself getting really angry with this local station blatantly going to air and trying to scare people that, “The big one could be coming!"

Maybe because I do national weather, I’m a little more immune to these local games, but come on! What happened to being responsible weather forecasters? What happened to saying “the eastern seaboard needs to monitor this storm system?” I found myself flipping through all the local channels to see who was being fair and who was being out of line and irresponsible. I will give a shout out to our local FOX station, FOX 5 and their forecasting team, led by Nick Gregory, who were very conscious of their viewing audience. There was zero fear forecasting from Mr. Gregory whom I think is the best in the business here in town. (OK, I’m a little biased … but I think most New Yorkers would agree with me here!)"

Thursday, September 06, 2007

cbs4denver.com - Popcorn Lung Victim: 'Friggin' Unbelievable'

cbs4denver.com - Popcorn Lung Victim: 'Friggin' Unbelievable': "'I wasn't snorting the stuff you know,' Watson, the sole reported case of 'popcorn lung' disease in a non-factory worker, said during an interview late Wednesday. 'You know when you open it up, you get the 'whoof.'' The suburban Denver furniture salesman acknowledged he enjoyed at least two bags of popcorn every day for 10 years, buying it by the case, until he was diagnosed by lung specialists at National Jewish Medical and Research Center this year. Watson, 53, said his breathing has improved since his doctor told him to quit eating his extra-buttery microwave popcorn and lose weight. He said he's dieting and lost some 35 pounds, regained lung capacity, and his prognosis is good."

Wednesday, September 05, 2007

The Hidden Truth About Cholesterol-Lowering Drugs - Share The Wealth

Statins!!!!!!!!!!!
The Hidden Truth About Cholesterol-Lowering Drugs - Share The Wealth

Attack of the Killer Popcorn

You'll cough, you'll wheeze, you'll gasp for air!

"ConAgra, the world's largest supplier of the 3 billion bags of microwave popcorn sold each year, said Tuesday that it will eliminate the use of a controversial chemical butter flavoring linked to severe lung disease in workers from its Act II and Orville Redenbacher products."

Popcorn supplier to drop toxic chemical

Tuesday, September 04, 2007

No Longer One of 'Jerry's Kids' - washingtonpost.com

No Longer One of 'Jerry's Kids' - washingtonpost.com:

"Of course, MDA may respect the disabled more than its fund-raising tactics imply. If it wants to stand out as an advocate for disability rights, however, it should set a better example -- and demand that its corporate contributors do as well. When most people see those of us with severe, progressive neurological conditions, they want to help, and I am not ungrateful. The desire to cure is probably human nature. And MDA's main mission is to be a medical charity; it claims to spend 77 cents of every dollar it raises on services, an admirable percentage, and finances hundreds of clinics and medical researchers. Still, for the past 30 years, the message of the disability-rights movement has been as consistent as it is simple: We're fine as we are. We don't need fixing. We need access. We need respect. We need work. In other words, we need the same things everybody else does. So today, I won't be watching the telethon. My wife and I and our two kids have better things to do."

2007/09/28 Update: I knew some people as far back as 1980 that had similar feelings about the telethon and being described as "Jerry's Kids". One of them, now that I think about it, was the late Professor Irving Zola of Brandeis University. The general feeling was that much of it was patronizing and somewhat demeaning. There were similar complaints from kids who appeared on March Of Dimes and Easter Seals posters. There were comments that they had been used for, among other thing, their cuteness.

Monday, September 03, 2007

Clemens Needs To Retire

From "Felix inches Mariners closer to Yanks" on MLB.com: Roger gets racked again and his losses mount.
The Official Site of Major League Baseball: News: Major League Baseball News:

"The last time the Mariners were in New York, Clemens announced on the big-screen matrix board that he was returning to the Yankees. That was a Kodak moment, for sure. He shared the big stage with someone half his age on Monday and came away with his sixth loss."

When moderates feel lost in the GOP - Los Angeles Times

When moderates feel lost in the GOP - Los Angeles Times:

"But Koster reserved his harshest criticism for GOP efforts to overturn a voter-approved constitutional amendment that protects embryonic stem-cell research in Missouri. 'The Republican desire is to criminalize early-stage stem-cell research in our state,' Koster said in a speech he repeated three times as he hopscotched across the state. 'Go to Boston for your Nobel Prize; come to Missouri for your leg irons. And the Missouri Republican Party not only tolerates this lunacy, but embraces it,' Koster said."